St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-06-11
CHINA's ROYAL HARENE.

CHINA'S ROYAL HARENT.
Description of the Barbaric Gus
tom Which Crowns Shame With
Distinction and Makes Vice a
Road to Honor.
New York Sun.
The pretty daughters of all Manchu
families in high rank have been in a
Hurried state of mind for many months
past. In the first place none of the
daughters of these families are permit
ted to marry for at least a year before a
wife is chosen for the emperor of China
During the spring months of last year
Manchu papaS of Importance having
daughters between the ages of twelve and
eighteen were required to take them to
Pehin, where they passed under the eyes
of the dignitarieS whose duty it was to
select all empress for the young sover-
eign. 1t is necessary that all the candi-
dates for this distinguished place in the
grea6 palace be ManchuS, in order to
preserve the racial purity OF the iIa-
perial line. China'S ruling family, for
more than two centuries, have not been
Chinese, but Manehurians. They are
interlopers at Peliin, but they are well
settled there, and have moved into the
imperial palace to stay. Many of
these interesting damSelS had to make
a long and arduous journey in order to
pass under the critical gaze of the Off
eials. They spent many hot days ON
the dusty roads, and stretched their
weary limbs at night on the couehes of
the dismal wayside inns, and, after all,
they had only one chance in hundreS of
becoming an empress. There was this
consolation, however, that if they missed
the capital prize they might be chosen to
fill some less dazzling position at court,
and, at any rate. they could go home,
perhaps wiser girls, and get married as
soon as the necessary arrangements could
be made.
No reporters were present to describe
the happy event last summer that fol-
lowed the choosing of Il bride. 1t is a
very solemn thing to gaze upon the en-
peror even months before he assumes
the reins of government, and so nobody
outside of a limited official circle saw
the ceremony that made very beauti-
full girl named TaO-Taf the empress of
China.
Less than three months ago this sey-
enteer-yeaf-oH emperor formally as
Sumed the reins OF government. Be
fore and since that event. according to
all reports, all the eligible Manchu
over the choosing of the female
members of the court. The en-
peror is by law entitled to seven concu-
bineS, and he may fill his harem with
any number of illegal" eoneubines.
No degradation attaches to this relation
in the imperial palace. Indeed, it is a
place to which any Manchu lady of the
requisite rank is proud to aspire. If an
inmate of the harem she may become
the mother Of an emperor, as the throne
doesn't descend to any particular son of
the ruler, but it Is his custom to name
as his successor any male member of
his family OF younger generation than
himself whom he wishes to have as his
heir. There are other possible results
of life in the imperial harem that in
duec ambitious young women to re-
gard admittance to its exclusive circles
as highly desirable. When any of the
illegal concubines give birth to a son
her status is legitimatized and she be-
comes a princess of the blood" and
Sharer thereafter in the fortunes of her
boy, who, if he does not become All en-
peror, has exceptional opportunities for
a brilliant career.
All the young ladies who do not pre-
sent the emperor with son or daugh-
ter by the time they are twenty-five
years old are returned to the homes of
their parents. No stain attaches to
their character; in fact, they are re-
garded as persons of distinction, and
they are eagerly sought in marriage by
gentlemen OF their own rank. OF
course, they are beautiful women,
for no others are admitted to the
emperor's seraglio. Every three years
the harem is in this sense weeded out
and then opportunity is afforded for
N M in hnir 10
undergo the ordeals of the competitive
examination which appears to be as
prominent a feature of the love affairs
his majesty as of the Chinese civil
service. Indeed, the manner of filling
and managing the imperial harem has
changed very little since the time over
six hundred years ago, when Marco
Polo wrote his graphic description of
the domestic life of Kublai Khan, the
great mogu1 emperor, who magnifi-
Gently adorned the very grounds in
Pekin where the present emperor re-
sides. POlo'S figures were rather tall.
but the number of court attaches prob
ably exceeded that of to-day, though
Kwann SuhaS an army of 5000 eunuchS
now within his palace walls.
Marco Polo wrote that Kublai Khan
had four legitimate consortS, and each
empress had not less than O,00O persons
attached to her court. Every year 100
of the most beautiful Tartar maid
ems who could be found were
brought from far and near to the pal
ace, and a committee Of elderly ladies
passed Judgment upon them. Those
who were of approved beauty, good and
sound in adj respects, were appointed to
wait upon the emperor by skies, each
squad of beauties serving three days,
when it was relieved by another detach-
ment.